NEED HELP! AUTO OR MANUAL
NEED HELP! AUTO OR MANUAL
hey guys im new to the forum and i really need some input from more experienced people. im about to order a 2012 5.0 and cant decide whether to go with an auto or manual....i really want the brembo brake pkg because of the wheels and other obvious reasons. im gonna go with the base 5.0 with the security pkg. i can drive a stick fairly well but i dont plan to race at the track or haul *** everywhere BUT i would love to know if im at a red light and a SS pulls up next to me, if i can smoke him with the auto. thanks in advance

It comes down what you really want. If you want to shift and control your own car, get a manual. If you want to just relax and cruise, get the auto. Automatic is faster when it comes to shifting, so that wouldn't be a problem at all. It's a personal preference.
We don't condone street racing here... but if that redlight was at a racetrack, take that SS down.
My dad went though a similar struggle... and it came down to this: "If I'm going to be driving a mustang... I'm going to want to shift it."
Keep the auto for your family car, etc.. shift the mustang.
most importantly.. its a big investment. get what you want.
My dad went though a similar struggle... and it came down to this: "If I'm going to be driving a mustang... I'm going to want to shift it."
Keep the auto for your family car, etc.. shift the mustang.
most importantly.. its a big investment. get what you want.
The clutch in these cars is extremely light. I can sit in stop and go traffic all day and never get annoyed.
That and the shifting makes me giggle sometimes. I love the short and close throws on the 5.0.
I say go MT, but thats my biased opinion..
That and the shifting makes me giggle sometimes. I love the short and close throws on the 5.0.

I say go MT, but thats my biased opinion..
I went with the auto for a bunch of different reasons, and I can honestly say that I don't regret it one bit. I love every minute that I'm driving my car. Hell I find excuses to drive it around all the time lol.
Its all presonal preference. The auto is definitely not the slushbox is past mustangs. The new auto holds gears surprisingly long and its easier to drive. But nothing really beats the satisfaction of rowin through the gears and hearin that 5.0 roar on the roads. If it were me id go with manual simply for the fun factor and driver involvement. Auto is more reliable, easier to drive, but also makes it easier to get distracted by other things like phones, other cars, etc..
I prefer the manual because for me...there's nothing like banging through the gears. So for me, the MT was a must. And if you want Brembos...they don't come with the auto.
Performance-wise...you wouldn't go wrong with either because they're both really good. Like Hawaii said...the new auto is much better than the older ones. And if you get a tuner, the auto responds really well to the retune.
Good luck!
Performance-wise...you wouldn't go wrong with either because they're both really good. Like Hawaii said...the new auto is much better than the older ones. And if you get a tuner, the auto responds really well to the retune.
Good luck!
Last edited by Dewyrussler; Feb 4, 2011 at 11:53 AM.
To me, half the fun of driving a Mustang is shifting gears. There is nothing like the old heel and toe downshift around a corner. Autos are for rental car Mustangs. Plus, I really like the wheels on the Brembo package which only comes on a manual.
If you have no real preference, save a thousand bucks and go with the manual, or better yet, use those savings to offset the Brembo Package! I have an auto and LOVE it, and she still roars as advertised on the manual. If my left knee wasn't blown out I would have the MT, so I don't have a decision to make. Go MT.
yep, much more connected to the car with the MT, more like "driving" instead of just going along for the ride
mine is my daily driver and absolutely no regrets with the manual, I wouldn't want it any other way
if I spent a couple hours a day in stop-and-go then MAYBE the auto would be better
mine is my daily driver and absolutely no regrets with the manual, I wouldn't want it any other way
if I spent a couple hours a day in stop-and-go then MAYBE the auto would be better
My last Mustang was an Auto and I regretted not having the manual tranny and ended up getting my 5.0 a little sooner than planned because I was tired of feeling disconnected from the driving experience.
My '11 is an Auto & I love it. I have to have that, though. All I know is I can sit & take off my traction control. I get wheel spin @ 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, & maybe even 60. I would love to be able to operate a manual. I can't though. I am more than happy with my auto!
What you lose with the auto (besides the fun of using the clutch and rowing thru gears) is NOTHING, in terms of straight-line stoplight-to-stoplight performance.
One disadvantage of the auto is no Brembo pkg available.
But why are you listening to our opinions?
Go to a dealer and test drive both for yourself and then decide.
One disadvantage of the auto is no Brembo pkg available.
But why are you listening to our opinions?
Go to a dealer and test drive both for yourself and then decide.
Last edited by Double-EDad; Feb 4, 2011 at 03:28 PM.
As alot of people have said. A Mustang is a Muscle Car. Its a fun car and when i think of fun, I think of a Manual trans. I have had 4 Stangs and they have all been sticks. I love banging through the gears and being in control.
Its all personal preference thou.
Its all personal preference thou.



